Wisconsin Deer Season Structure in Juneau County

Archery and Crossbow — September into January

Wisconsin's statewide archery and crossbow season opens in mid-September and runs through early January, with extensions in select deer management units. Juneau County is within the Farmland Zone in most of its area, meaning the extended January archery opportunities apply in select DMUs — confirm your specific unit at dnr.wisconsin.gov. Crossbows are legal for all hunters during the archery season — no special exemption required — which distinguishes Wisconsin from states where crossbows are restricted to hunters with disabilities.

The 9-Day Gun Season — Late November

The 9-day firearms deer season opens the Saturday before Thanksgiving and runs through the following Sunday. In 2026, that window is November 21 through November 29. This is Wisconsin's iconic hunting season — over 600,000 hunters statewide. In Juneau County, the concentration of hunting pressure during these nine days creates the push-and-move deer dynamics that make well-positioned stands on sanctuary-adjacent land particularly productive. Opening weekend is effectively a local community event.

Late-Season Opportunities

Wisconsin offers multiple late-season firearm opportunities after the 9-day season closes. A muzzleloader season typically runs in early December. An antlerless-only hunt runs late December through January 1 in select Farmland Zone units. These late-season hunts attract serious hunters specifically because post-9-day deer that survived are both pressured and transitioning to late-winter feeding patterns — predictable in a different way than the rut-influenced November hunting.

CWD in Juneau County — Complete Rules

Mandatory Sampling

Juneau County is within Wisconsin's CWD management zone. All harvested deer must be registered electronically by 5 p.m. the day after recovery using the state's GameReg system. Additionally, deer harvested in CWD zones must be submitted for CWD sampling — testing stations are set up in the county during the gun season. Sampling is mandatory, not optional.

Carcass Transport Restrictions

Deer harvested in Wisconsin CWD zones cannot be transported out of the zone with brain or spinal cord material intact. Boned-out meat is acceptable for transport. Cape for taxidermy is acceptable if the skull plate is cleaned. Hunters who want to transport trophies to out-of-state taxidermists should bone out the skull and ensure no soft tissue remains. Always verify current CWD transport rules at dnr.wisconsin.gov before the season — rules are updated annually.

Baiting and Feeding

Baiting and feeding deer is prohibited in Juneau County as a CWD zone county. All bait piles, mineral licks, and feeding stations must be removed before hunting. Deer accustomed to feed sites will return to the areas even without bait — but hunters cannot use bait as a concentration tool in Juneau County.

The Necedah Refuge Advantage in Deer Season

The dynamics of the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge sanctuary on adjacent private land deer hunting are most pronounced during the 9-day gun season. As hunting pressure mounts across the surrounding private land, deer naturally move toward the security cover the refuge provides — and the hunters positioned between the refuge edge and the surrounding landscape intercept that movement. Stand placement that accounts for prevailing wind and the direction of deer movement toward the refuge edge is the key to capitalizing on this dynamic. See our detailed analysis of the refuge's effect on hunting land value.

Frequently Asked Questions